Britain: Strawberries berry of choice

LONDON, July 7 (UPI) -- Strawberries are the favorite at Wimbledon, and a survey also indicates strawberries are the berry of choice of 64 percent of people living in Britain.

A survey by Fruitdrop, an office fruit delivery company in Britain, indicated 22 percent favored raspberries as their summer berry of choice, followed by 9 percent for blueberries and 5 percent for blackcurrents.

Ben Thompson, managing director of Fruitdrop, said the Institute of Food Research identified strawberries and raspberries as one of the main dietary sources of cancer-fighting ellagic acid.

Snacking on the government-recommended portion size of seven strawberries or two handfuls of raspberries each day throughout the summer could help improve health, Thompson said.

"With high levels of vitamin C, strawberries can help to prevent health problems such as the common cold," Thompson said in a statement.

Strawberries, considered a "superfood," also contain anthocyanins, a powerful antioxidant, fade age spots caused by sun exposure, stop the body from releasing inflammatory compounds that cause nerves to become over stimulated and assist the body in synthesizing the compound carnitine, which in turn helps speed up fat burn by 25 percent, research found.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today’s UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI when after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.